‘Cobra Kai’ Owns Streaming Ratings Following Netflix Debut

The first two seasons of Cobra Kai took the top spot in streaming ratings, according to data released by Nielsen over the weekend. The data firm shared a look at ratings from the week of Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, a period that begins just two days after Cobra Kai made the jump from YouTube to Netflix. Cobra Kai is a follow-up to The Karate Kid and its sequels, starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka.

Audiences viewed 2.17 billion minutes of Cobra Kai during the week of Aug. 31 to Aug. 6, Nielsen told The Hollywood Reporter. The show’s first two seasons originally launched on YouTube but moved to Netflix after the Google site announced it would no longer work on scripted programming. Netflix will debut the third season in January and has already renewed it for a fourth season.

Nielsen began tracking streaming rankings last month. The latest data was the first time shows available on streaming platforms besides Netflix were included. Amazon’s The Boys came in third with 891 million minutes viewed. Mulan, which is only available for Dismey+ subscribers willing to pay an extra $29.99, came in 10th with 525 million minutes. All other shows in the Top 10 are from Netflix streams. Lucifer came in second with 1.42 billion minutes, while The Office came in fourth with 843 million. Criminal Minds, which originally aired on CBS rounded out the Top 5 with 675 million minutes viewed.

Both The Boys and Cobra Kai are produced by Sony Pictures Television. Studio president Jeff Frost told THR the studio was “thrilled” to see two shows on different platforms connect with audiences. “We’ve long demonstrated our independence is a key strength, allowing us the unique opportunity to work with everyone and to find the right home for our creators’ shows,” Frost said. “Today it’s more evident than ever with this unprecedented accomplishment. This amazing audience reception is also a true testament to the brilliant work of our talented creators and team at Sony.”

Cobra Kai is set 34 years after the original The Karate Kid and follows Macchio and Zabka in their original roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively. The cast also includes Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Mariduena, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo and Martin Kove. The third season is scheduled to hit Netflix on Jan. 8. Meanwhile, the original Karate Kid movies are available on Hulu with a premium Showtime subscription.